The Wall 2014
Marinated in talent and passion, slow cooked in creativity with a dash of attitude, We present to you a livelier, juicier The Wall Magazine 2014 which guarantees 100% satisfaction to your hungry literary minds
Blessings
Padmashree Dr. D.Y. Patil
Dr. Vijay D. Patil
Dr. Ajeenkya Patil
Smt. Pushpalata Patil
Messages for The Wall I am very pleased to know that the students of Ramrao Adik Institute of Technolgy, Nerul are bringing out the annual magazine of the institute, ‘The Wall’, keeping up the tradition of RAIT. The entire magazine promises to reach out to many readers. The quality and content management in this issue has been done meticulously and the help from the college faculty is appreciated. The effort of the students of RAIT is praiseworthy. Their enthusiasm towards creating this magazine has been very consistent. I bless them all for their excellent future career. With blessings,
Dr. Vijay D. Patil, President Dr. D.Y. Patil Group
It has always been a pleasure to see the creative side of students. I am happy to see this new colourful attractive issue of 'The Wall' which showcases the writing and thinking talents of our institution. I congratulate 'The Wall' team and wish them luck.
Shri Sunil Gaekwad Registrar Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology
I realize that 'The Wall' magazine symbolizes the creative aspects of our students. When students of technology give vent to their creative power, we can see a holistic development of their personality. 'The Wall' is an expression of our intent to convert RAIT students into innovative and thinking leaders. I hope the magazine continues to flourish in the years to come. Regards and blessings
Dr. Ramesh Vasappanavara Principal Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology
'The Wall' is not just a magazine but it stands for the creative aspirations of our students. It is also a fit forum to express our angst, voice and feelings be it in the form of poetry, articles or short stories. I'm grateful to Dr. Vijay D. Patil for his support and generosity and our Principal Dr. Ramesh Vasappanavara for inspiring us constantly. I would also like to thank the Registrar Shri Sunil Gaikwad for his inputs. The support of my colleagues and the administrative staff is also appreciated. It exhilarates me to see so much talent and motivation among our students and their zeal and enthusiasm brought out this thought provoking issue of our beloved magazine 'The Wall'. Well done Masons! Keep building!
Prof. Anupama S. Shenoy Faculty Co-ordinator The Wall Magazine
Are You Mad?
Nope. It’s the utter ability of my mind to see that page of the book in a way others and more specifically YOU, fail to see and that is precisely what is setting me apart from others, more specifically YUO. Now, you may point out my mistake in the last sentence to which lies my patient condolence with you for actually been concerned abuot that petty spelling mistake or should I say a mere interchange of the hierarchical superiority of a vowel in the word that barely describes a general somebody, rather than actually reflecting upon the thought or the answer to the question you have asked me so much so that I have to come to think if it’s really a global issue that has to be sorted out NOW! Oh dear! I feel sorry for you to have missed the embarrassing grammatical error done above and also an inappropriate alphabetical interchange as earlier. Moving on and coming back to my point, MAD, basically doesn’t address to my intellectual irregularity, but to the incapacity of your grey cells to perceive my thought in the exact way I deliver it! YES! You indeed could point out that mistake. Must have been a ‘This is it!’ moment for you! Must say you are improving more than expected! Worth all my efforts! You’re Welcome!
Editor’s Note When we began working for the magazine we felt like little kids going to a drawing class determined to create our very own masterpiece, unaware of what goes behind it but sure of what we wanted. The enthusiasm, ideas, the vision to create something that will ‘blow your minds’ with big discussions and even bigger aspirations… we set out. But just as any emotion its intensity reduced, “academic pressures” and other distractions got to us! We never let our dream out of our sight but yes we did go through certain blurry phases! We may not have fulfilled all the plans we charted out for this edition but we definitely have taken a path less trodden. We were not sure where it led to but we were hoping it was worth setting out on. As a team it has been our constant effort to encompass every aspect of life in this edition ranging from self-belief, humour, social awareness, political satire, compassion towards animals and most importantly the heart to accept reality and not shy away from topics that need to be discussed. We had a vision to let the magazine be known by the content and ideas that has shaped it and not by individuals. THE WALL 2014 holds certain specialties. This time we have invited a guest author, Mr. Manish Maladkar to share his views and thoughts on life. We also visited a women’s shelter to highlight the plight of women who fall prey to trafficking. We thank Mrs Triveni Acharya, the President of Rescue Foundation for spending time with us and ensuring that we understand the necessity to be open to discussion on such topics that are considered a taboo. Do watch out for the Agony Aunt section and our special segment dedicated to the BEs where they share some of their epic moments in college. It has been a long wait for the magazine and we hope it’s worth all of it! We would like to take this opportunity and thank our President Dr. Vijay D. Patil Sir for his unwavering support, our Principal Dr. Vasappanavara for giving us the freedom to experiment and think free and Prof. Anupama Shenoy for her guidance and patience, especially for putting up with all our “Tomorrow Ma’am for sure!”. Also, a very special 'Thank You' to Vaibhav Deshmukh and Adhish Tendulkar for their help. Should I be thanking my team members? Come on buddies, it is your show after all. With excitement,
Namrata Pillai Editor-in-Chief
ROLE CALL Namrata Pillai Anuj Mulik Gursimran Singh Megh Halagatti Neha Rane Ruturaj Tawde Devdip Sen Manogna Gottipati Aditi Dasgupta Anupam Sinha Mousam Maity Abhilash Ganeshkar Malhar Patil Anand Mishra Nikita Rana Renuka Singh Kajal Soni Siddhant Gawande
TO FOLLOW OR UNFOLLOW By Prof. Anupama Shenoy Promise yourself to live your life as a revolution and not just a process of evolution. Anonymous
H
istory books are replete with facts and examples of various ages and revolutions that changed the world and civilization forever. Evolution of mankind and civilization started, as we know, from the stone ages to the Industrial Revolution and each such a revolution or sudden change transformed the way human beings think, behave and live. Fittingly, the present era will be recorded as the Era of the Electronic Media Revolution in history. It started with the computer and information technology which partnered with it and its offspring were the mobile phones, the internet, the social networking sites and gadgets. The consequence of this explosion of information technology is that we are always connected to others via the electronic media. Facebook and Twitter has made us reconnect with friends and relatives no doubt but it has also tempted us to play out our lives in front of a willing, prying audience lapping up the juicy details of our lives especially those of celebrities. Fights and friendships are out in the open. Reactions are immediate. The public outrage during the Nirbhaya rape case would not have happened without Facebook and Twitter. Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party would not have become the phenomena that they are without this media connectivity. Ironically, even as we are increasingly getting connected with the world using
the electronic media, our real connection with friends, family and neighbourhood has deteriorated at an alarming rate. We are familiar with the smiley and are busy punching it on our phones; our face has forgotten to smile at others! We are so busy expressing our emotions through emoticons that we are completely drained of all feelings in the actual world we inhabit. We are irritable, unhappy and impatient when we are deprived of our daily dose of Facebook, Twitter etc. If the mobile phone does not ring or nobody has texted us, we feel ignored and unloved. If photographs and messages that we regularly post on Facebook are not “liked” by many, we withdraw unhappily into our shells, feeling unpopular and emotionally deprived. There is an unreal feel to this revolution. We communicate but in a limited way. We spot a problem but we want a quick solution. We are restless for more information, constantly devouring it voraciously; however we tend to gain no knowledge. We use Google for instant information having forgotten the pleasures of actual reading. On a more positive note, one can say that the electronic media has made it easier for us to know the truth. We are no longer insulated from the world of politics, country and other people. We know what’s up! We realise finally that connectivity of any sort is welcome in the human world!
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EXPANDING
HORIZONS | DR. ARPITA PALCHOUDHURY
T
he beautiful earth can be viewed as an abundant and friendly place, provided you look at it with the right perspective. Perceptions, sometimes change with intentions. Intentions become genuine possibilities, when our way of looking at things change. This unique creation, can always be experienced from higher frequencies. If you are receptive to the environment around, you will always find that it provides rather than restricts. Instead of looking at the world that conspires, one can view it as benevolent and all - pervading. A ceaseless inspiration! Attitude is what matters the most. An attitude of allowing and acceptance means perfect alignment. Disharmony is created when there is resistance to the desire for abundance coupled with beliefs of inability or unworthiness. An attitude of allowing means that you ignore the efforts by others to dissuade you. In simple terms, you overcome all impossibilities. It also means ego-centric beliefs, being replaced by
“
Expanding your horizons makes you more receptive towards the wellbeing of others, encompassing you and your well-being in the process.
thoughts of abundance for your fellow mates just like the ocean which has no ego in its abundance and vastness.
The sweeping appreciation for who they are, their joy, their insights, their humour and their companionship.
Expanding your horizons, makes you more receptive towards the well-being of others, encompassing you and your well-being in the process. Love in this context can create magic. Love is acceptance. In acceptance lies abundance. Appreciation is one step beyond acceptance. It’s your focus on what you like about another.
Loving unconditionally and forgiving unconditionally creates abundance. A feeling of humbleness, altruism, which is tremendously beautiful, definitely expands horizons. Life becomes a joyful ride. On the beach where the sound of waves render, a mellifluous background score to your genuine intentions and abundance.
Q. A funny thing about RAIT. Throwing paper balls. The whole idea of throwing torn journals and dancing out of rhythm at a concert has been very different and funny to me ever since I saw it the first time. Q. A problem you always have come across in RAIT. Students messing up their journals. Completing journals is always a chaos leading to students writing their journals in five different handwritings. I remember having to tear Shankar Mahadevan’s journal as he combined his physics and chemistry journal into one. But to see that very boy shine and excel is a different feeling altogether! Q. Something that you remember about students of RAIT. Their dance. I encourage my students to showcase their skills in class. For instance, I would urge them to sing or dance during lectures if they are good at it. It helps them in a lot of ways and also makes up for a quick break for them. Q. In the 30 years of RAIT, which has been the best Horizon so far? Horizon 2012. There was a bike stunt which had gotten me awestruck! Something that I like about Horizon is that it has bettered itself with every year. Q. What will you miss the most about RAIT? The love and affection my students have given me over the years. I feel truly blessed! Q. Who has been your favourite student in these 30 years? Srinath Bharadwaj. He is equally involved everywhere with undeterred zeal. Also had a student in the first batch of RAIT, named Nelson who completed his engineering in just eight years!
To Students with
Love Dr. S.D. Shete
T
he law "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" according to me applies to life also. There are few tips I would like to give my students:
had the choice of working in the industry; however I loved teaching and considered it a sacred profession for it ignites the light of knowledge. They say gyandaan is the best and so I joined this rewarding field without material expectations. Students must also remember that we should never compare with others. Try to seek big happiness within small moments of joy and be less materialistic.
I remember as a student I had a natural inclination to balance both academics and sports. Along with this I had the blessings and support “For every of my elders Believe in God. action, there and teachers, Most importantly, this helped me dear students is an equal tremendously. So remember there is and opposite I should point out a higher force at to the students work bigger than reaction� that maintaining us and that is the goodwill matters, Almighty. Faith is in their relationships with family, an important factor in our life, friends or colleagues. faith in Him and His grace are important for us to achieve Be cheerful and jovial. This anything in life. The most quality will always help you important lesson is try to avoid and will smoothen the paths for vices that block your mental you. I acquired my PhD in an and spiritual energy. effortless manner because of this. Nobody likes to see a glum Thus to conclude, remember face. So be cheerful, take joy in every action will lead to a everything and help everybody. reaction that shapes our lives, so let us choose those paths that Follow your heart. Do what you gives us fruitful experiences. feel is right and follow your heart especially when it comes to choosing a profession/job. I
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THE MUFFLED ROARS | CHAITRA PURAKKANDY
I looked past the iron bars at the pitiable state of the creatures. They seemed not to have a care in the world, yet seemed to be burdened with every stress there ever was. A few juveniles moved away. I kept watching, as two adults came forward, sneering at the board that read,
“VISITORS THROWING OBJECTS AT THE TIGER WILL BE ASKED TO RETRIEVE THE SAME”
he rebellious nature this board always managed to induce in people was not given a miss this time either. A little object had been stealthily launched into my cage by one of the adults. I looked uncomprehendingly at it, and then mournfully at the masterminds behind it. The injury seething within me was let out in a small growl. Mighty though I am, that was all I could do. Thoroughly amused, they moved away.
T
The last of the visitors finally filed out of the zoo, leaving me at leisure to heave a sigh of relief. It had been an exceptionally warm day. I walked towards my water hole. Thirst quenched, I lifted my head away from the little pool. The ripples on the surface of the water smoothened out to harmony, and an image of a majestic tiger gazed at me. I really believed that I deserved better treatment.
All the while, what governed the mechanism of his mind was the sorrow in the eyes of his tiger. I knew that he would be only too happy to set me free. If only there weren’t people who disagreed. It is out there, in the wild, that we belong. Nonetheless, life of tigers away from confinement is not full of jubilant roars either. Their state is just as miserable as is that of their counterparts behind bars. Repeated and reckless poaching is the primary culprit, with loosely tied laws being the accomplices. My kind is dying away. Rapidly. As long as people want to know what is in it for them, conservation won’t happen as it should. The few considerate-hearts who wish to make a difference can only watch as their efforts get nullified by the atrocities of the vaster opposition.
Sensing my caretaker’s presence, I turned my head and saw the only other person who believed so too. My caretaker and I share numerous similarities which have made us bond like brothers; a deep yearning for an outdoor life, an aggressive appearance that hides the helpless reality and an unfortunate disability to voice our minds.
For people who want to know how protecting the country’s magnificent national animal is going to benefit them, the answer is that it isn’t going to, in any manner that might seem lucrative to them. Lending support to the cause, in the many ways possible, is going to ensure that a beautiful species is saved from a terrible fate.
He gave me a warm, understanding look, and proceeded to duties that had been thrust upon him in addition to care-taking. A chair on top of another. Yet another chair atop the previous. The brushing of plastic sounded like agitated little gusts of wind. He stood back to admire the creativity he believed to be embedded in his stacking of the chairs. He thought the stack leant a little to the left, and promptly set it straight.
It is not just the tiger that is under threat. There are a number of species which have begun a countdown. A countdown which, had it applied to humans, would have frozen in them, the very desire to live. If imagining such an ominous countdown is grippingly frightening enough, perhaps it would induce some compassion towards the plight of the lesser fortunate creations, and initiate some action to prevent their rendezvous with doomsday.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
The Real Truth Behind
COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG
Harshwardhan Sharma
t begins in the monsoons of 1999. Dejected by the sloppy standards of badminton racquets that accompanied Boost and crippled by the weight of the homework in primary education, one too many kids turned to TV. One thing lead to another and voilà – Cartoon Network. It had the bubblegum colours, the fluid animation, the 24X7 presence, but more importantly it had a generation hooked.
I
Children lapped it up like candy as adults loathed in their inability to control indiscriminate viewing. It was the best time to be a cartoon junkie - Rasna sipping - ten year old rebel… or so I felt. We all felt the same, until something wicked and sinister came along our way. This diabolic charade was “Courage the Cowardly Dog” Well, technically it was just a pink dog and his adorable family. But all said and done the number of times my bed mattress have been changed extends to double digits. So in search of truth, answers and bladder control a quest began. It was
long, tedious, vivid and trippy in equal proportions but sober in entirety. It was the culmination of a ten year research and it is nothing but the whole truth. The real deal behind Courage the Cowardly Dog!
On every available occasion Eustace would scare the living daylights out of Courage. It was crass but brilliantly done, as no ten year old would ever question a disability that some men develop only after they acquire the ability.
It begins with a family: two quarters human, one quarter canine and a pitcher full of ghosts.
Muriel (the lady) on the other hand nurtures Courage like her own child (mera Sherdil ayega). With Muriel’s maternal instinct and Eustace’s scary outbursts, the emotional roller coaster gave Courage a significant taste of Indian upbringing. Creepy to the core, considering he is still a dog.
The place where this freakish family lived was deserted and took the name “Middle of Nowhere” too seriously. In reality, it was a nuclear testing site and Courage is a mutated dog. Yes, mutation from exposure to radiation. His mutated genes gave him the IQ of a fifteen year old and balls of stainless steel. Radiation made Peter Parker, Spiderman. Courage is a Man-dog, for real. Basic analogy aside, why would anyone live in the "Middle of Nowhere" with no neighbours? Eustace (the old guy) suffers from severe case of impotence/ED, which is why there were no kids in the house. It also explains his crabby nature and it makes him vent all his frustration on Courage.
‘ 15
Now for FREAKS…
the
GHOSTS,
ZOMBIES,
“Obviously there are no demons from other worlds. Such things don’t exist.” - Wilma
Professional they were, but sadly they still stuck to their “Scooby Doo” dress curriculum.
Stressful scenario that man-dogs like Scooby and Courage went through blinded the masses ability to reason. Which brings us to the second half of this nightmare - The Ghouls.
Avid fans will remember that Courage owned an all-knowing-all-answeringsarcastic-SOB of a computer. For those who don’t, it was in his attic where he “played” with himself… dogs do that. This desktop looked like a nasty Steve Job fetish for its deathly minimalistic interface. But looks can be deceptive, as it ran a highly advanced algorithm designed by a man sired by Djikstra and Kruskal at mutually exclusive intervals.
They were SPIES. Special agents. MI-6, CIA, Mossad…undercover and incognito. These three-piece suit pedigrees had to disguise themselves thoroughly.
This algorithm was designed to test and analyse the numbers from nuclear explosions, but also answered all questions pertaining to life, death,
“Scooby Doo… Where are you?” “Scoobs… I’m scared” - Shaggy
If anything Courage could have gained from his man-like intuitiveness, it would have been to flee. Flee to some place far. Alas, his protective dog-instincts burdened him. >Courage panicked. >Consulted supercomputer. >Supercomputer gave solutions riddled with witticism. >Courage sulked, but went with the plan. >Saved lives using Man dog abilities, which primarily had him running on two legs and using the other two to carry Muriel. >Courage 99-0 Spies dressed as drag queens.
survival, Higgs-Boson, revenge, IIM cut-offs, harbour line train frequency etcetera rather cheekily. What comes as a shock is that it achieved all this within milliseconds and WITHOUT a net connection. No modem, no broadband, no neighbour’s Wi-Fi. And this made it a prime target for various governments, intelligence agencies, terrorist groups, corporate honchos and my ex-GF.
The spies kidnapped, harassed and tortured Eustace and Muriel for the super computer. The docile couple unaware of their prized possession fumbled, stumbled and cried for mercy. All fun and games for the Mac. Pretty sure it was not a PC, it never crashed.
Yet a lot of questions remain unanswered. • • • • •
How did Courage acquire that computer? Was Courage really a PINK dog? Oh the horror! Did the Hindi dub of the show overdub Courage's squeals, moans, screams as well? Was that creepy red fox a Mozilla Firefox salesman? Are the ghosts that make YOU wet your bed also human?
The answers to these questions are not easy. The TRUTH never is.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
THE FISH WHO CLIMBED A TREE. And then it was dead.
By
Sushrut Munje
‘ 17
Fishes are meant to swim. They have fins, they have gills, they are born in water and they are meant to stay in water. Monkeys, on the other hand, are built to live on trees. They have arms, nostrils, tails and are perfectly capable to hoisting themselves from one branch to another.
Bill & Longtail Twins Once, there lived a fish by the name of Bill. It had made friends with a few monkeys by the side of the lake it lived in. The monkeys, Longtail twins, always spoke about the bright sunlight on the treetops, the hills yonder and the breeze that played out at the very top. Bill told tales of the underwater corals, myriad colours and fascinating shrimps. The twins listened, but had little patience for something they could neither see nor imagine. Bill was an ambitious kind, and he longed to feel what a breeze is like, as he looked across to the hills and the trees.
An Ambitious Fish Over a period of time, the twins suggested Bill to climb up to the treetop with them once. In return, they would visit his underwater home. Bill’s family was aghast at his plans, they explained how it made no sense for him to go beyond the surface. They said he is not built for it. They said he’d die. Bill was an ambitious kind, he believed he can hold his breath long enough. And if he doesn’t like it, can always flip back into the lake. A plan was made and the Longtail twins agreed to help him climb up a tree with them.
Out in the Air The first step on the ground and Bill felt air closing in around him. He held his breath and the monkeys started carrying him towards a nearby tree. He felt giddy, this air was not good for breathing at all, and his fins flapped a bit. Longtails didn’t notice and started climbing. Bill flapped, a bit harder this time- his scales were drying up and the sun was burning into him. Longtails hadn’t noticed. Bill passed out.
At What Cost?
At the top, the monkey twins realized something was amiss and shook Bill back to consciousness. He coughed, eyes open and looked at the green hills, the bright burning sunlight, the steely wind and the gleaming lake below. It was beautiful, but not for a fish perhaps. He mumbled something about throwing him down into the water. Longtails took time to grasp what he’s saying, aloof to his life threatening struggle. When they finally heard him mumble “water..”, He was frantically thrown back, only to hit a branch and then a rock below. This is how Bill died.
Analogy We’re all either fishes or monkeys. Our skill sets are the deciding factor- not where we come from, not our education. If you’re great with people, focus on and develop your competency. If you’re great with machines, build your skill and find a relevant occupation. All skills are important and very much required in this fantastic world. However, we have a problem when we’re pushed into a course/job/experience where our core competencies don’t belong. It is difficult for a fish without lungs to survive on a tree for long. It is difficult for a monkey without gills to survive underwater for long. And the illusion of a ‘backup plan’ is what it isan illusion. People who had earlier coaxed you into stepping out of this comfort zone, might not always be that supportive when things go wrong.
Know What You Are Apart from the fact that we’re all rockstars and really awesome people, go beyond the obvious and attempt to understand where your passions lie. Validate them (since your romantic concept of coding might not be existent in a huge corporate office with glass walls). Intern with organizations to know how things really run. And choose what path to take. Fishes and Monkeys don’t worry about conventional and unconventional decisions. It is all about what you’re best suited for and what you love doing. If you love doing something, you can be really good at it.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
Hijab: The Untold Story
| Fatima Sarguroh
You look at me and call me oppressed; Simply because of the way I am dressed. You judge the clothing I wear with pride; You know me not for what is inside.
I
t was my first day of school in India after five years in Saudi Arabia. Seventh Grade. I entered the classroom under gazes curious at a 12-year-old wearing a scarf and salwar with the usual uniform. It felt awkward. Uncomfortable. Being brought up in a society where everyone wore what i was wearing, I wasn’t accustomed to all this. Slowly moving towards the last bench I took my place. And then people came around. Questions for which then I had no answers. I could only say that I have been wearing this since as long as I can remember. Six years on things have changed rapidly. Today if somebody asks me, I have an answer ready. I have come a long way from that shy, out-of-place girl that I was. I have grown into a person just like any other. A normal just-turned-adult dealing with everything a normal teenager does. I enjoy life just as much as everyone else. And yet on first sight people judge me based on their own opinions and viewpoints. The scarf I wear is my identity. It is as much a part of me as any other clothing. I was born in a house where the significance of the hijaab was taught to me along with the difference between right and wrong. I grew up seeing my sisters, aunts and my mother wearing it. And I started wearing it as early as eight. It is true that after reading this your first views would be ‘You wear it only because you were told. Given a choice you wouldn’t.’ And that is where I must particularly object. Yes it is true that my background is a prominent reason. But I have seen instances where girls shed off everything the moment they are out of the control of their family. And it is these cases which are mainly responsible for the misconceptions about the Hijaab in contemporary society. But I am very well sure that these are only one out of a hundred cases. When I was taught to cover my head I was given the reason why. Agree to it or not. It DOES turn down disrespectful gazes. It DOES give me a sense of protection. I know how awkward it feels when once in a while my scarf accidentally slips down when there are males around. My parents do not need to tell me that. And no one can ever break my bond with the Hijaab. It is not just a piece of cloth on my head. It is a reflection of who I am.
THE
BETTER LIFE | Praful Bhawsar Live poor so you can die rich. Life is tragic for those who have plenty to live on and nothing to live for.
M
y name is Prasad Ahmed Ansari. I am studying in Shiksha Sanskar High School in 3rd standard. My teacher Geeta teacher giving us homework to bring essay “A Day In My Life”. So I write this essay. My day in my life starting from morning. My mummy wake up very early and wake up me and my Daddy after that. In morning always big line in Dharavi for toilet so I go to garbage place on some days. Then we eating food which we not eaten last night. My mummy and my aunty not eating anything because of filling the water. "Happy is the man whose wish and care For a few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air In his own ground"
- Alexander Pope
After eating, Daddy go to work and I doing my homework like this essay. Daddy is coolie on CST station. I also study after homework. Mummy then makes tiffin for me and Didi. Didi is bigger than me. She is going to 7th standard in my school. Then Mummy goes for work and aunty not going to work because she take care of grandmother. Grandmother is very old and so she always sleeping and not well. I like my school very much. Geeta teacher is very nice and always telling us many stories. She tell me that if I study, I can become engineer. So I tell everyone I will become very big engineer when I grow up. In school I and my friends have much of enjoy. We play cricket and also hide-and-seek. We are coming together also after school.
Then I am going for picking garbage from the road with my new friends, not school friends. We having very much enjoy on the road by running race and football with stone. We are also seeing many children like us on the road with very nice clothes, but why they always look so sad? I also want new clothes, but Mummy tell that in Diwali or Ramzan only. Every day we see who is getting more garbage. I am come second always because one smaller boy is always carry more. He always carrying 6 kilo and I am getting only 5 kilo. We take that garbage to Harish Dada and him give us lot of money. I am always getting 10 rupees and other boys are getting only 5 or 7 rupees. I come home and give the money to grandmother and read Namaaz with her and aunty. Then I do pooja in the small temple in my home. Then Mummy coming home and bring vegetable for night food. She and aunty making food and I tell them school stories. Then at night Daddy also come home and give his money also to grandmother. He always tell us very comedy jokes. We eating food together and everyone laughing at Daddy’s jokes. Mummy and aunty then wash the vessels and Daddy tell me and Didi very wonderful stories. Then aunty lays the mat on the floor and mummy turn off the candle and we sleep happily. This was my day of my life. I am loving it very much and also I love my parents and my friends very much and also my school. Thank you!
RENUKA SINGH
Let us start with an eerie questionnaire. When was the last time your parents or for that matter any elder member of your family sat you down for ‘that’ talk? You know ‘the birds and the bees’? Okay in general English, Sex education? Did they tell you about sexually transmitted diseases? Or perhaps the pros and cons of a condom? Or just skim you through the perils of unsafe sex?
Q
(A) I can’t remember. Maybe they did talk about sex. Unfortunately for them, I suffer from amnesia. (B) They never did.
Q
The word sex and its grammatical derivatives were used five times until now. How would you sum up your reaction?
(A) I thought the article is worth a read and I let people peek into my magazine and throw sly disgusted looks thanks to the bold caption at the top. And I’m totally fine by their behaviour. (B) I flinch every time I come across that word because let us face it, I am in a public place and I do not like the way the aunty sitting next to me is recoiling in horror. I’ll save this article for bed time read when I go through Dr. Mahinder Watsa’s advisory column after everyone’s off to sleep.
‘ 21
If your obvious choice has been (B) throughout, I am not surprised. In fact, it is highly probable that you belong to one of those several families whose psychological behavioural pattern is quite similar and may or may not have slight variations.
You and your family are watching Balika Vadhu/ Arnab Goswami/ any DD show you can recollect. The climax is interrupted by an advertisement “Issued in Public Interest” by NACO. The otherwise glued to their seats family members undergo the following abrupt paradigm shifts. The patriarch realizes he had been thirsty for quite some time. He demands one of his progenies to get a glass of water. The matriarch toys with the hem of her kurti pretending to take off a stubborn stain.
The question however remains. Why is it difficult for you, as a parent, to teach your children the same thing that the NACO advertisement is trying to convey? Fine, it may not take 20 seconds. 15 minutes? Can’t you spare half an hour for your child out of your busy life? Would you rather let your kid get incomplete (and may I add dangerous) knowledge off some random insane stranger over internet? Don’t you think you somehow owe your child an ounce of truth from your mouth in your own words? Or do you plan on enrolling your kid for a crash course on such subjects as well? I leave that for you to decide. I shall, however, lay down some facts for you to make an informed choice. What is Indian culture synonymous with in the West? No, not Bollywood. Nuhuh, not cricket either. It is yoga and Kamasutra. And yet, the most ironic thing is that although the official hand book of love-making is centuries old and widely acknowledged across the globe, sex continues to remain a taboo in India. And let me clarify, I am not trying to glorify the act of love making. The point
The elder male sibling has this urge to reply to a 'Wassup?’. Hence he buries his head in his phone. The female sibling scrutinizes her freshly painted fingernails and concludes they need another coat. You, on the other hand, having no other option, break into a sprint to fetch that glass of water. By the time you are back, SRK is on TV selling undergarments and wooing a scantily clad woman and ‘Thank the good God above’ everything is back to normal. Phew! Twenty seconds of nightmare!
that I am trying to get across is simple. You can drive a car by the time you are eighteen, cast a vote, watch an adult film, even rape someone when you are a few months shy of your eighteenth birthday and then walk free in a couple of years. You however are not grown up yet to talk about that ‘stuff’. Instead of calling India ‘Land of Colours’ they should aptly call it ‘Land of Hypocrisy’. Now when I mean sex education, I do not expect you, to give free access to unlimited pornography to your children, or a limited paperback edition of Kamasutra unabridged version on their fifteenth birthday. You can start off by telling your five year olds that it is not okay if someone touches them in the wrong places. Tell them it’s wrong to put up with someone if they make them feel uncomfortable by making inappropriate gestures. Tell your thirteen year olds that it is okay to undergo those body changes; it’s natural. But it is useless to fret over it. Tell your sixteen year olds it is okay to have ‘different’ feelings for someone. But it’s not okay to go berserk over it.
You, as a parent should tell your eighteen year olds about the consequences of unsafe sex. Is this really difficult and uncalled for? You cannot always have a hold over your teenage children’s actions. It is the most tumultuous period one goes through in their lives. On the contrary you can educate them, so that their decisions are not purely hormone influenced. Not every Indian will be lucky to have Aamir Khan on ‘Satyameva Jayate’ on Sunday mornings teaching them things that a parent is supposed to pass onto their children. You can either become their Aamir Khan or watch them helplessly as they become the next Shakti Kapoor/ Nirupa Roy!
Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
LAYERED IS MY DRESS, SO AM I | ADITI DASGUPTA escribe yourself in one word! Each one of us must have been in situations where we were asked the above. I want you take a minute to reflect on this. Can you think of a word that describes you completely? There will be instances, wherein some of us might come up with such a word!
D
For example, you may think, I am quiet, everyone knows it. But the next moment you know, you wrote an imposition just the other day, for talking a little too much in class! Indeed, it was your friend’s fault! But if you mull over it a little more, you will come to wonder, whether were you always a mum girl or have the people around you, in time, made you believe you are! Because, it is practically impossible to comprehend a person in just a word! It is human to contradict your usual behaviour. If Japanese mythology is to be believed, our body is comprised of five elements - Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth; each imbibing within us a distinguished quality. Space lets us enjoy the pure and creative energy of those things that are beyond our everyday experience, Air instils in us the love for freedom of domain, Earth keeps us rooted with strength, Water lets us adjust with any given scenario, and Fire induces the valour and energy to fight against the odds. This makes it very clear that we as individuals have an influence of every ‘nature’ that defines our identity completely! We may exude a particular trait more prominently, but that won’t overrule the existence of other traits. It’s funny when we typecast a person as someone with a specific manner of behaviour and approach, irrespective of the situation. If you are generally outspoken, you are expected to never be laid back and taking things slow. You are assumed to be witty and always ready with an answer. You cannot be quiet! If you take an example of a feeble nerd with shabby hair and with an unattractive pair of thick glasses, coiled up in the most invisible corner of the library digging into a book, you instantly size him up to be under-confident and incompetent compared to the classy brats. Of course, being the good human you are, you may befriend him to help him out of the crisis. But the sad part is, to even believe it to be a crisis. To narrow him down into those mere synonymous words. If you get to know him up close, what will interest you, is his behaviour that would be contradicting your prior perceptions. That very feeble incompetent lad might have the qualities to be a good leader or a good strategist or even be an amazing violinist. He might simply muse you enough to become your best buddy and partner in crime, someone you have shared your best days with! I spent several hours knitting my thoughts together and putting it forward to you in a way you could relate with them. One simply cannot express how diversified and contrast an individual can be but, can only observe and understand the person over time. The bottom line is, that we all are LAYERED. Layered, like the frilly multi-coloured bridesmaid’s dress you saw in the shop passing by the other day. Each layer has its story to say with each colour having a different meaning. The first layer is what you choose to wear for people you barely know. The next few would be those which get unveiled to people who know you a little more than the rest. The more you know a person, the more layers you divulge, each layer so different, rather an absolute contrast to the previous one, thus challenging your preconceptions. And the beauty of it all is, you will never know where the final layer lies. You will always find a little more to what you thought is the complete individual, even the one you have known for years together! Why else do you think, biographies come in thick fat books?
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The hierarchy of sins | AAKRITI SHARMA
“
No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft… When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband; rob his child of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing, Amir.”
T
hese wonderful lines from the book ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khalid Hosseini have been etched in my mind since I was of the impressionable age of 14-15 years. While these lines seem extremely apt to me, it makes me wonder how one vice is given more importance than the other. The seven deadly sins, as they are known, are wrath (anger), greed, sloth (laziness), pride, lust, envy (jealousy) and gluttony (over-consumption of food or drinks). But nowhere in the Bible, the Quran, the Guru Granth Sahib or the Bhagwad Gita has one sin been given more priority than the other. Then why do we differentiate between them? If asked which is the most prominent sin of your personality, many will be okay to accept sloth or gluttony, however lust or pride directly puts you in the ‘bad person’ category. In our society especially, lust is one of the highest cardinal sins. Any other sin might be forgiven, but this, absolutely not. On the other hand, being
a glutton is a matter of pride. Like many Hindi movies also depict, the guests are fed and stuffed with food which makes the host feel proud. Why is the hypocrisy? Why do our rules change according to our preference, our liking and our convenience? Why do we choose to accept some axioms from the holy books because they benefit us, but excuse ourselves from the ones that we do not wish to follow? An explanation that comes to my mind for the reason we differentiate between all these vices is probably that we equate the priority of the sin directly proportional to the effort taken to commit it. For instance, to be lazy and not do the house work doesn’t ask for much from a person, but to feel anger and shout at another being requires some work. Is this simple deduction of this complicated thought acceptable and correct? I am in no position to answer that but I hope it gives you some food for thought.
Trying to be completely unbiased is nevertheless, extremely difficult. By my own understanding, I believe that sloth should also be considered high on the hierarchy ladder. God has blessed us with such a wonderful life and a beautiful body that will help us to make this life even more wonderful, then why to waste it? It is a direct insult to the Almighty. Having said that, I cannot help but point out and rephrase the lines of the above mentioned book. For me, personally, ‘Greed is the only sin. All other sins are a variation of it. Wrath is the greed of having things your way, sloth is the greed of wanting more sleep or rest, pride is the greed of being above all, lust is the greed of more love, envy is the greed of wanting what the other has and gluttony as is obvious, is the greed of more food.’ Now I ask you the question, which is the most dominant sin of your personality?
‘MOANING 24
The Wall Magazine 2014
MUMBAI Anupam Sinha
I
t was a remorseful evening of 26/11/2009, a year exactly after the firing by terrorists at hotspots of Mumbai. I, along with my friends, had gone for a candle light march in which thousands of commuters rushing to their homes halted to pay respect to those who were brutally gunned down by the terrorists. The city was swept by sorrow, loss, cynicism and anger. We marched till the gateway of India and later lit the candle vigil with prayers for those who had died. Since it was getting late, all of my friends decided to stay at one of my friend's place. But due to prior appointments, I had to leave. I took the last train to Borivali at 1:04 from Churchgate which stopped at Bandra due to some technical problem. Damn irritated, I looked for every possible transport possible but was unfortunate not to get one, thanks to the strikes! At times, tragedy surrounds you from all the directions. Helplessly, I returned back to the station wherein the air was quiet and dreadful, with some shrill voices of commuters. While I sat on a bench, a man came and sat beside me; he was wounded and drenched in blood. Appalled at his condition, I asked him if he was seeking treatment, to which he didn’t respond at all. I kept asking him, “What happened to you, why don’t we go get you some treatment, what caused all this? Let's rush to hospital NOW!”
He lifted his head, and as he did, a chill ran down my spine seeing such a horrifying face, showing signs of nearing death - cuts, wounds, and blood all over it. I somehow gathered courage to yet stay beside him. And then a voice came out of this gruesome man - “I am a victim of 11/7 bomb blasts, and my father got slaughtered in the firing last year. My family is in great dilemma, although financially sound, two daughters, one wife - waiting for justice”… Although he sounded drunk, for the moment, I continued listening. “I am lurking around helplessly since last three years in the prospect of getting justice, but I find that there is nothing done effectively for people like me to attain justice. As far as I can see, terrorists are smart enough to move freely everywhere and even when they are caught, they are given a V.I.P treatment in jail. Justice is always delayed here. And people are given solace by the lines... One day, everyone will get justice…. And that one day comes but once in ten years...” I couldn’t utter anything as I couldn’t fault his words and above all I was more concerned for his treatment. As I lifted him, I was shocked to see that he had no legs. I wondered how he came up to me? That scared the hell out of me as this was something really haunting which was sufficient to wake me up in my history lecture of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Only then I realized, it was a frightful dream. Hushh!! (And the man, the spirit of a victim of 11/7 - Mumbai’s serial bomb blasts wherein he lost his life)
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I now understand, in this city where I dream freely, there are many unseen people and untold stories, tales of those who are victim of something unfortunate - that has shattered their world, and who are waiting for justice. Mumbai, the City of Dreams, a place full of life and vigor, also has many moaning souls affected by tragedies. While many still chant “Mumbai - Meri Jaan” as a slogan, many have altered it to “Mumbai - Meri Jaan ki Dushman”. I can’t blame the officials, the government or the people completely, but there is something wrong in the system that is catastrophic to this place. Awareness and alertness have become an integral part of every moment of the busy lives of people here and it is essential for their survival. One may feel that to achieve your dreams, you need to sacrifice something, sacrifice your relaxation and solace, but is this what Mumbaikars had always aspired for? Or has terror become a part of our lives in Mumbai?
meri jaan ki “ Mumbaidushman
”
CONSPIRACY//NOUN: - An act of great discrete action involving the covert or obscured motive of an individual or secret organisation.
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DID NASA REALLY LAND ON THE MOON? (If you don’t believe NASA’s proof, at least believe TBBT) IS BARACK OBAMA THE ANTICHRIST? (Or maybe you are just a teeny bit racist) DOES MANCHESTER UNITED BRIBE REFEREES? (Lie down in a corner, cry like a baby) CONSPIRACIES: EVERY GENERATION HAS THEIR OWN. WHAT MAKES SANE, RATIONAL AND REPUTABLE PEOPLE BELIEVE IN THEM?
• patternicity, or a tendency to find meaningful patterns in random noise; • agenticity, or the bent to believe the world is controlled by invisible intentional agent; • confirmation bias, or the seeking and finding of confirmatory evidence for what we already Well, some conspiracy theories actually turn out to be true, believe; after all: the NSA did carry out illegal surveillance on the world’s top leaders and Nixon’s Watergate break-in was indeed • hindsight bias, or tailoring after-the-fact explanations to what we already know a cover up. But with so few that turn out to be true, why do people still believe in conspiracies? happened. Studies have shown that if you believe in one conspiracy, you are more likely to believe in many more. The advent of the Internet Age has also fuelled the rampant growth of conspiracy theorists and believers. (The Internet perpetuated the belief that Justin Bieber can sing!) Social standing also dictates what one believes in, the more well off you are; the less likely you are to question the widely accepted truths. (Perhaps this can be chalked up to better education.) But the average individual harbours a deep mistrust for the Order of Things. We all like to believe we are being controlled, like pawns on a giant chess board. It is this sense of helplessness that conspiracy theorists feed on, intentionally or otherwise.
So what drives a theorist? Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society, outlines four traits of those who believe:
Most popular conspiracy theories revolve around significant moments in history, or significant people. The popularity of the remarkable often provides an impetus to a theory which seems to explain everything, while conveniently ignoring or discrediting contradictory evidence. Even conspiracy theories ride on the coattails of the rich and the famous. No wonder the assassination of JFK or the 9/11 attacks spawned more theories than the mysterious disappearance of my Nutella jar. One must also realize that it is often futile to dispute with a believer. Endless arguments can be made back and forth to support or discredit a theory, to no satisfying end. One eventually has to resign to the fact that people are sometimes stubborn on their views (or stupid). Contradictory to their normally observed completely rational behaviour, people often house some absurd irrational belief of some kind. So when Tom Cruise comes to your door to preach about the Church of Scientology, you better invite him in because that s**t is for real!!
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The Wall Magazine 2014
Life is Beautiful By Manogna Gottipati
THE CLOCK STRUCK FIVE. THEY CAME TO TAKE HER OFF THE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. HER - MY MOTHER. My childhood was nice and simple. Sometimes I missed my dad though I have no memories of him. He died when I was a year old. Until then, my mother was just a fragile Mrs. Rao to the world. For a woman with a simple B. Sc degree in mathematics, losing her husband could mean the end of the world, especially, when she did not know where to go and what to do. Everyone thought my mother was just another helpless widow. But with all the inner strength she had, she proved to be different. Taking financial help from anyone or getting married again was never an option for her. Maybe because of the unconditional love she had for her husband who was a self made man or because of the deep sense of responsibility that she had towards her child. I saw her work harder and harder as I grew up but, not once did I see her get frustrated at life. She was like any other mother who loved me, scolded me, cared for me and took pride in telling about my achievements to our neighbours and friends. But only she knew, how hard it was to give me this normal life. All these years of working, running after me, earning and taking care of things had to take a toll on her health. She was diagnosed with a rare lung disease. It has been a week since they put her on the life support system. The doctors told me that her body has given up. For the past one week, every time she opened her eyes, I could see that she wanted to tell me something. She wanted me to free her from all the wires and machines around her and let her enjoy a peaceful sleep, a sleep that she would never wake up from.
The clock struck five. They came to take her off the life support system.
She opened her eyes again and I knew this was the last time. Suddenly, the inside of me ached like someone stabbed me right in the heart. I turned my eyes away for a brief moment. It felt worse to look at my grandma who was weeping silently and at a bunch of relatives sticking their faces on to the glass walls of my mother’s room; their eyes filled with sympathy. I looked back at my mother with anger, with pain. How can she leave me alone and go? This time, my mother’s eyes were calm and apologetic because she knew she was leaving me all alone and calm because she was sure that she had taught me enough to survive in this world. It was 5:18. The ECG monitor beeped and it showed a flat heart rate. My mother was dead. My strength was gone, forever and obviously there was nothing in this world that could ever replace her. Although life had shown me the worst phase I could ever see, I gradually convinced myself and promised that I will live life and love it because my mother always said- ‘Life is beautiful’ and I am sure life will maintain its evergreen beauty by bringing back my mother in some or the other form…
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NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND | DEVDIP SEN
n American soldier going into war is assured that irrespective of his fate, he will be brought back. If he dies during the battle, he will receive a military burial back home amongst his family. He will have a place in the memorial of his respective unit. A place where his family and friends can visit later to pay their homage and respect to their loving son, father, brother - the fallen warrior.
A
Compare the situation to our nation. The only proper memorial we have is the Amar Jawan Jyoti or the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is located below the India Gate. Made by the British, it pays homage to the Indian soldiers who fought for the King. Yet, after 66 years of Independence, we still don’t have one single common monument to respect all the fallen soldiers of our nation. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have any. We have a Kargil War memorial at Kargil and a memorial at National Defence Academy situated on the outskirts of Pune. But what we need is one common memorial where each and every soldier’s name is engraved. They fought wars for us; they gave their lives to bring peace to humanity in Sri Lanka and Africa. All
the members of our armed forces are volunteers. And nothing is bigger than the heart of a volunteer. At difficult times, they take up responsibility to defend us, defend humanity. They stand on a wall while we are tucked warmly in our beds. They risk their lives while we update our Facebook statuses. The situation is not just confined to the Defence department. The situation of the Central Armed Police Forces i.e. BSF, CRPF, ITBP etc aren’t any better. They are ill equipped. In J&K, a paltry sum of Rs. 150 is paid to them for every insurgent who is shot down. If they die the chapter is closed after the 21 gun salute during their funeral. Even they deserve respect. They need their names engraved in a memorial, so that a son can go there to pay his respect and feel proud by seeing his father’s name who sacrificed himself for the nation. The CRPF personnel, beheaded by the Maoists deserves to be on that memorial. The BSF soldier who died in a ceasefire violation deserves to be on that memorial. The policemen killed by Kasab deserve to be on that memorial. Their entire lives revolve around words like code, honour, glory and respect. They deserve it even after their death. Respect shouldn’t just be confined to medals given and compensations
conferred. And their name shouldn’t be besmirched by our lousy politicians. They were the brave sons of our nation. Sons, for whom personal gain and glory were secondary. Their bodies may have been brought back. But in reality, they were left behind. Their glory, respect and honour died with them on the battlefield as they can’t uphold it for themselves and we don’t have time to uphold it for them. People can always talk about these issues. These fallen warriors have never demanded anything. But they deserve a place where I as an individual can go, and irrespective of whether my fellow Indian died in East Pakistan in 1971, or was killed by ULFA in Assam or died while defusing a bomb in Congo, I should be able to thank him. Their contributions have ensured a better tomorrow for me and many others. They lived with fire. They died by the fire. They are the soldiers of this nation. A creed of men, ever ready to answer the nation’s call at times of need. They are rare. They protect us before their death and we must protect their identity after their death.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
Inspiration Pragya Singh
I sit and wait for inspiration to strike, To come up with a piece of work I'd like. People advice me to write on nature, Or maybe God and his supreme creature. I gazed out of the window, And saw a wonderful rainbow. I watched the raindrops fall, And I heard the birds and their call. I wondered why they didn't assist me, To come up with something I'd like when I see. My head was buzzing and the words were jumbled, A few rhyming words I mumbled. Soon dusk fell and brought the sunset view, Painting the sky in an orange hue. I sat and watched in awe, Yet unsure whether I was inspired by what I saw. Then came by the time of night, When the sky was scattered with stars shining in moonlight. I still waited for that inspiration to hit, Oh wait a second, or did it?
Goodbye Smeet Kutaphale
When my breath shall say goodbye When my beats shall leave my heart When my eyes shall close forever When I prepare for the unknown land When my life shall meet the dusk When my lips shall move for last When my blood shall soak me full When pain would end me thick and fast When it would be time to part When soul shall leave its flesh behind When my words would search an ear When fear takes up my conscious mind That time just fill your eyes with love That'll be the best thing to my end Though we part I'll live in you It's hard to say Goodbye my friend!
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LIFE Anupam Sinha Sometimes you just want to spend time by yourself, Sit and recollect your memories, and things left unsaid, Some vibrant, some dusky shades, evoked in your mind, Everyone has it, brief and long, memories of different kind Those vibrant memories of togetherness, fun, life and merriment, A movie, a joke, a play or a single second spent in amusement, Aggregate to refresh and revive your numb soul with its charm, You recollect these lifelong and thus the gusto remains warm Those hurtful thoughts, those miffed happenings, and ignorant state of affairs, Which transpired on ‘that day’, your mates and your expectations did not pair, ‘That day’ may bring you down, ephemerally, and make you morose even today, Even though you have moved on, reconciled, and stood tall after that day
Life is not a bed of roses, where you just got to lay and sleep, There may be times when you smile, or may be you weep, Important is to swim in deep waters even when you have fallen from high sky, Smile and accept every situation, as there isn't always an answer to the question - "Why?" For only then, you may learn from your memories - good or bad. The different paths in the circuit of your life, can then be chosen exceptionally, And your sorrows altered to glad.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
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the anatomy of
POWER | Gursimran Singh
“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely” - Lord Acton
T
he quote written in 1900s is very much pertinent and this simple observation of human psyche has been proven time and time again. First let us define power. What is power? Psychology defines it as the ability to persuade and influence others. That is power in true sense. But more fundamentally power is the ability to ‘be yourself’, yes, to be who you are, to express yourself. TO BE FREE! To not hide behind your weaknesses or strengths for that matter. Think of a situation when you felt powerful, yes, Kevin spacey in House of Cards powerful or a Lannister in Game of Thrones powerful or it could just be the freedom to sing in a bathroom. It’s liberating. “I can do whatever the fridge I want to”. Can you recall how suffocating it is to be in a group when there is pressure from everywhere to act in a certain manner and being inundated with diffidence? The opposite of that is power. You have more choices and more authority in your decision making culminating in overall responsibility towards your own life.
Why does it corrupt then?
“
Nearly all men can weather adversity but if you want to test a man’s character give him power” - Abraham Lincoln
In a much broader sense power coupled with the naturally opportunistic mind of ours, corrupts. People in power think beyond objectivity and consider themselves as smarter than their counterparts, this makes them feel that they have more choices and perhaps feel they are entitled to everything they get, by hook or by crook. But not all choices are morally correct. It has been proved in a scientific study that powerful people have a propensity towards cheating, showing their lack of fear. Hypocrisy, infidelity, deceit, wrong-doing wrapped in a shiny cover of altruism is what follows. Another misgiving about powerful people is their lack of empathy. Our brain engenders empathy by mirroring someone’s pain in our nerve-endings. Such functions are suppressed when you dislike a person. This is the same as power ‘getting to your head’, there is a feeling of inherited superiority. On the positive side, having power can make you a better decision maker, smarter and a better strategist but most of all, happy. Generally, a person who is positive, social and understands their needs is chosen by the people to be their leader. This is the paradox of power, the very traits that makes a leader are the ones at risk to diminish first.
Does it mean that it is inevitable to be corrupted by power? Not necessarily, a person who has more pro-social values, is an extrovert is more likely to handle power well instead of a selfish one who when in power morphs into an egotist, no less than a rabid dog who has to be put down. The aim of this article isn’t to sermonize but to remind that there are a lot of selfish, malevolent and egotist people in power out there but the world needs a different pedigree of leaders, someone who can work towards a better and sustainable future. This article just aims to create awareness.
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A Letter to You -Nikita Rana
Dear Mister, You winced in pain yet you looked so peaceful. Trickling blood, glistening your face under moonlight. You let out a soft cry for help but I stopped you from ruining the moment. My fingertips felt the warmth of your face. Would you have left me, if you were awake? You were wearing your favourite shirt, black suits you. I tore a piece of it, this way you will always be with me even when you are not. You smell different, have you changed your perfume? I do not like it. Please go back to the one before. I heard some noise, I ran, stumbling upon the cobbled path, for I can not share you with anyone! After they took you away from me, I came back to the same spot. In case you are wondering where your wallet and house key is, you should know they are safe with me. I have been visiting your house for three days now. Your dog still fails to recognize me. I come here to be closer to you; now that you are not here. But your stupid dog just would not stop barking! Is he the same to all or was he this way, just with me? I put an end to this disturbance. By the way, who is that girl with you in the photograph, the one in the bedroom? You do not have any sibling. I saw you being carried into the hospital. I am sure I got the address right. I have been writing to you for the past three days, waiting for your replies. I know you broke your arm, but cannot you least try? Some girl in my class says you are at the ICU, I do not believe her! I do not like her! It is her fault you are there in the first place. I noticed how close both of you are, so much that she invited you to her birthday. I cringe at the sight of watching you with
her! Do you purposely do this to make me jealous? You know she is not a good girl, right? I had to do what I did. By the way, her birthday is tomorrow. Will you still be attending it? I made your favourite chocolates, bitter ones right? Sent it at the hospital counter. Did you like them? I am sorry I could not give them to you directly; you see I am very shy. Trust me; they will put you in deep sleep. You look so serene when you are sleeping. I cannot let anyone disturb you. I was at your home yesterday; I went there to paint you a picture of your dog. I thought you would miss him, now that he is no more. The stench was unbearable but that did not deter me. There did not remain much of him. But I painted the little that was left. I have hanged the canvas in your living room. I intend to paint the girl in the photograph next, she has good features. Ever since I saw you, I knew we were meant to be together. I need you. You have always walked past me but I know you have feelings for me hidden underneath your shyness. You will always find me looking after you, at you. I know you will come back to me soon. I did not run you over , that bad.
Forever yours. - Ms. X
Agony Aunt
3
1
The taps in the sixth floor washrooms are always dry while the ground floor washrooms overflow. I don’t understand, care to explain?
Gravity, duh!
2
What do girls do in the washroom for so long?
I have a problem with the washrooms. Every time I enter I feel like I'll be gassed and then I have to rush to KFC for nature’s call. Please help!
Reduce your fluid intake. Also, the gardens here are well maintained!
4
Why is sitting on RAIT circle banned?
Don’t you get it? It's written RIGHT THERE!
6
Why do guys wear such skinny jeans? It's so embarrassing.
We quite agree, these “pressing issues” must be addressed!
Why do girls go to the washrooms in groups?
5
Because we believe in doing it the right way, the “RAIT” way!
7
89
Didn’t you read No.3? It’s no less than a battlefield!
Why are flash mobs announced in RAIT?
Why aren’t there good chicks in RAIT?
Depends on how gOOd you want them! I suggest you visit the nearest poultry farm!
I like a girl from my batch. I have a huge crush on her. I’m friends with her now. But the day I was going to ask her out, I came to know that she is dating my best friend who sits with me everyday. Don’t understand how to deal with my friend and my crush?
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The Wall Magazine 2014
P olitickl e s
by
Ojas Kamble
It started out as an uneventful day for our very own PM at the G20 summit with him showcasing his perpetual ‘sighing’ skills every time an issue came forward. But that day something felt different with insiders claiming they had a view of Dr. Singh smirking & murmuring. No one could have seen what lay ahead. As it turned out it was the calm before the predator attacked its prey. As the wise say: Never mess with a guy with girlfriend problems or a nation’s premier who has been accused by the opposition of deceit. Chinese president Xi Jinping learnt this the hard way when he found himself at the receiving end of Dr. Singh’s ire. With his rage building up over a litany of negative developments from slowing growth to an obdurate opposition hell bent on heckling him. He wasted no time on pleasantries as he raged with fury every time the Chinese premier talked about helping weak nations restore their economic conditions amid the current situation of Chinese intrusion in the country. He stared at Xi for a while before turning up in a way we’ve never seen before, “You know what, I’ve had enough of the crap. Next time your men come into my territory, I will gouge the eyes out of your sockets. Theekhai? “, screeched Dr. Singh. It was an unseen scenario & it most certainly sent shock waves through the lounge of the five star hotel, where various heads of state were put up. News like this spreads like wild fire in a dry forest. Back in the country, people celebrated as if India had won the Football World Cup without even qualifying for it. Dr. Singh’s robust, muscular intervention marked the first instance of India pushing above (way above) its weight in global diplomacy by telling its giant northern neighbor to ‘BACK OFF’.
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But as the Congress headquarters were concerned, it had inverse effects on their plans for the 2014 polls. As of now the whole country knows who Congress has put their weight behind in the ring to face Narendra Modi and sure as heck it wasn’t Manmohan Singh. Modi or Rahul? The million dollar question begged for an untimely answer. We are preoccupied with a problem which doesn’t even exist & would be solved anyway when the time arrives. The futile discussions continued with last month’s Time Magazine’s cover page declaring Rahul Gandhi as the ‘Over Achiever’, things were never more heated. And now out of nowhere, a Manmohan Singh storm came by and swept everyone off its feet. Dr. Singh’s act of rage had the country chanting his name with such ferocity that Madame G ( Sonia Ji ) was concerned of her son’s chances at next year’s polls. To counter the effects of the Manmohan tornado the BJP seemed to have planned a debate between our very own Lalu Prasad Yadav and some guy by the name of ‘Arnab Goswami’. Questioned about the possibility of this happening Goswami had the following to say “The country demands an answer, Why me? “ as he cried a tsunami of tears, later resigning. It is understood that he is considering taking ‘Sanyas’ after this preposterous proposal.
The Manmohan storm also had adverse effects in the U.S. as Obama was viewing the 2014 polls as his entry pass into politics in India, where people are accustomed to the concept of a foreigner leading the country (*cough* the Gandhi family *cough cough*) It is even being said that the support of sixty-five MPs had already been attained but an act of simple rage had blown everything off far away. But just as a new dawn of a new era was being envisioned Dr. Singh came forward with the following statement, “We are regretful of our actions towards our northern neighbouring counterpart & I myself would like to offer sincere apologies over my misgivings. As an act of clearing up the debris created between the two countries we offer the President & his family VIP passes to the “Lalbaugcha Raja” Ganesh festival (refreshments not included). Madame G was seen stealing a quick smile before going back to her normal stoned faced self. Madame G was later heard talking to her son in fluent Italian which on translation came out as “The battleground is all yours, Conquer it!
This article is an artificial part of my imagination; NONE of the events ever took place and to my fair judgement wouldn’t ever take place. The article is to be taken lightly with a grain of salt (maybe more than a grain)
n’s ta Sa
min
ion s
If you love your mother, read ahead. If you hate her, ignore. WARNING: Once you have started reading this you cannot stop. A boy ignored this warning and his mom turned off his PC while he was in the middle of an intense DoTA session.
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Yes. Mommies can be that cruel. If you are a mother reading this article, you’ve got to admit, you have employed one of these mentioned tricks to coax your progeny into doing things the way you want them to be done. And most importantly exactly when you want them to be done. And if you are not a mother, you’ve probably already been a victim to all of this. And let me clarify, this piece is not about the vast ocean of love that mothers are. It isn’t about the endless pain a mother goes through to bring you up. Here I’ll be highlighting the manipulative and cunning side of the purest beings: MOTHERS.
“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” - Rudyard Kipling
Scene 1 : Early summer morning. The dawn is cool and you are stuck deep in the vicious sleep cycle. Somewhere a female voice that sounds a lot like your mom’s is calling you to get out of your bed. But you can’t do that. Because let’s face it, you obviously do not want to! All of a sudden you are sweating. You’ve been jolted out of your sleep. What on earth triggered that? It was your mother. She turned off the fan/AC. A flick of the switch. As simple as that. Smart huh? And wicked! Scene 2 : We’ve been friends for a long time now. Almost touching a year of ultimate fun
and memories. By this time she perceives me as a funny, witty, systematic and organized girl. By default, this image is relayed on to her family members. The friend decides to come over to my place with her family. I clean up the room by shoving the open trash in wardrobes and shelves and shutting them tight. After their arrival and the tea formality, we give them a tour around our humble abode. My room is the last one on the itinerary. Deliberately, of course. My mother, ladies and gentlemen, has a wicked plan to teach me a lesson. A very harsh lesson for that matter. Just as my father is describing the ventilation system, the view from the windows and the balcony, she, the mother, MY mother, does the unthinkable. The unforgivable. “Look at the way she keeps her belongings. Pcht!” She throws open the doors of the wardrobes. The doors that were meant to remain shut. The doors that hid my vices from the rest of the world. The doors that veiled my other side, lie wide open. The next thing you know, a heap of clothes and a pile of loose sheets and stationery tumble out of the shelves and station themselves at the guest’s feet. The somewhat neat room is instantly transformed into a pigsty. I, meanwhile stand aghast taking some time to register what just happened. The rest of the evening is spent with us kids silent as the parents go on with ‘aaj kal ke bachche…’
If a mother is God’s reflection, she is equally flawless in enacting the role of a Satan’s minion. Ironic isn’t it? That’s a mother for you my friend. God’s most versatile creation.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
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Concerning Hobbits
won quite a struggle a few semesters back when I successfully managed to drag my sister to the first day show of The Hobbit. While it may not evoke even the modest of nods from abominable non-believers, I can imagine the fanboys of Tolkein's legendarium tipping their hats to me, maybe even paying me homage with a standing ovation, at the mention of the fact that my actions led her into becoming an admirer of Tolkien’s universe (may his soul rest in peace).
I
The stiffness of the seats and the defilement caused to her taste buds by
Vineet Kau shik
the bits of caramel popcorn, hiding in her tub of cheese popcorn, did little to unsettle her as she relished the movie in silent delight. Actually she wasn’t entirely silent. Enamoured by the beauty of the Shire and its simple bucolic lifestyle, she let out an inadvertent gasp and exclaimed “I wish I were a Hobbit!” Gandalf and I, much to my joy, have at least one thing in common. It is the absolute love for Hobbits. While I draw no little amount of inspiration from the lore of the Eldar, the oldest, wisest and mightiest of elves, and from the courage of the line of Numenorian kings, which Aragon belongs to, Hobbits bring an
endearing levity to the world of Arda. Their lives are the manifestation of the peace that every great race, save that from the Orcs, Goblins and other spawn of Morgoth, is perpetually fighting for. They maintain this peace, although unknowingly, through a preoccupation with merry making, eating and smoking centred about farming and gardening coupled with a harmless suspicion towards all “Outsiders”, which ultimately makes them oblivious to all that happens outside the Shire. This includes the rise of Sauron and his terrible forces. Ignorance, it seems, never blessed anyone with greater bliss.
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I realised, however, Hobbits and humans aren’t essentially disparate. In fact, from the perspective of culture and ethos, we are most similar to Hobbits. If one were to press hard their mental accelerator, they would see the truth in my words. Rarely do humans pursue the way of the Elves, who endeavour to walk the path of knowledge and wisdom and maintain balance in a tumultuous world. While parallels can also be drawn between the race of Men and humans, it is essential to consider that the Men in Arda were more or less the epitome of human perfection.
craftsmanship that dwarves are known for. Humankind, apart from fulfilling its evolutionary role of procreation and survival, is simply looking for a stable life. Paradigm shift is not what we, as a race, have always yearned for. Homeostasis is the foundation of what we subconsciously consider happiness. Delusional dissenters are invited to borrow from the examples of Socrates and Galileo and countless other martyrs to the causes of truth and discovery. Hence it can be safely said that if anyone of us had a next to kin in Tolkien’s realm, it would be a hobbit.
The greatest houses of Men in the First Age, which comprised the lion’s share of their population, were loyal and friendly to the Valar, divinities of Tolkien’s world, and Elves. In the nascent stages of their civilization, Men were noble, strong and had a proclivity for goodwill. All the evil in the world of Tolkien’s Men was injected by Morgoth. Additionally, maybe only thousands amongst billions of us human beings can boast of such mettle in the face of almost unconquerable odds as was shown by the lesser Men in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
How is it then, despite such fundamental similarities, that human existence has come to be expressed by constant struggle and melancholy, while our Arda equivalents are having a ball of a time? Where have we gone wrong? Why aren’t we feasting, revelling like we should, especially considering the absence of external threats in our world, unlike in Middle-Earth?
Dwarves can be dismissed simply by the stark degree of mismatch in appearance. But for the sake of continuity, not all humans share the prominent dwarfish traits of stubbornness and excellent
While ignorance is a boon to the race of Hobbits, it has been humankind’s undoing. The lack of appreciation for deeper knowledge and wisdom of our existence leads us to accord excessive importance to things that should not, rather do not, merit so much of our attention. Wealth and ego top the list, but not necessarily in that order. Status
and self-importance follow closely. We like being above our peers and therefore, it is difficult for us to simply go to work in a manly fashion and enjoy a pint with friends or a dinner with family in the evening.
The cornerstone of most human lives is composed of the race to the corner office, the status that comes with it and a pursuit of power. A large proportion of human population fails to satiate this passion and hence is left disgruntled, greedy and/or jealous. Humanity is yet to take cognizance of true happiness and stability. There are few of us who do find the answers to the difficult questions of our existence and as duty try to spread the word about the dangers of materialism and vanity, but they are silenced by those who are drunk with power and opulence and want to maintain status quo. Hobbits, with the exception of the Sackville-Bagginses, found joy in the little that they owned and the myriad friends and relations they made. Their short stature and short lives causes them little discomfiture in a world ruled by those taller than them, in stature and deed alike. I hope the irony of my sister’s statement won’t be lost on her. If we look at it, she has little stopping her from being a hobbit after all!
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The Wall Magazine 2014
When the
Gods
lived
| PRIYA HOLANI
The Divine is simply that which science has “ not yet explained. In effect, God = Infinity -
Human Knowledge.”
- The Krishna Key.
All of us, at some point or the other have wondered how the lives of Gods were. Did Krishna really lift a whole mountain with his little finger? Was Gandhari really the mother of a hundred Kauravas because of the ‘holy water’? Did Lord Shiva’s throat turn blue because of drinking poison? Or is there another explanation that we don’t know yet? Were the Daiviastras, like the Bramhastra, the all-consuming weapon, really ‘Daivi’? Divine? Or was it some form of nuclear weaponry? If magic really existed or was that an age of science much more advanced than ours? I was first introduced to mythology by a friend who insisted I read “The Immortals of Meluha” when I was looking for something fresh. It being a debut novel of an author I had never heard about, of a genre I’d never read before, I was not too excited. But I started anyway and since then there has been no looking back. Don’t know whether it was Tripathi’s way of writing that smoothly led me into the Meluhan world, or the portrayal of Lord Shiva, or the intriguing conversations between Shiva and Sati, or the constant search for what is evil that drew me in, but the trilogy got me hooked. Anyone who has read the Shiva trilogy cannot fail to be impressed by the portrayal of Shiva in his books.
a man is a legend or not is “ Whether decided by history, not fortune tellers.” - The Immortals of Meluha.
Amish has depicted Lord Shiva as a credible character- one with feelings and faults, with charisma and a mind that constantly reasons logically. As a marijuana smoking, Tibetan, barbarian who rises to his duties thus becoming, Mahadev (God of the Gods). Tripathi believes that "Myths are nothing but jumbled memories of a true past.”. In Meluha, mythology has been cleverly interwoven with logic and science. The next stop was Ashwin Sanghi’s The Krishna Key. While Tripathi pulled me into the story right from the beginning and forced me to indulge in deep philosophical contemplations, Sanghi constantly bombarded me with facts and theories,so much so that it was hard to keep a track of all that I was discovering. Every step of the way, it’s a blink and miss it. Did you know that the lost city of Dwarka, that has said to have been submerged six times, has been found? Several miles into the sea, near Gujarat, the remains of seals and mansions of the city have been found exactly as described in the Mahabharata and other literary works. Or that there is staggering evidence of the use of nuclear power during the holy war of Kurukshetra? While developing a fast paced thriller laced with shocking historical and factual references, he simultaneously narrates the story of Lord Krishna, right from before his birth to the battle of Mahabharata in an equally gripping manner. This forced me to question what I knew and to discover new façades of the legend I thought I knew. It is said that if you are lying, lie as close to reality as possible. Or as Sanghi says, “People want to read fiction which is close to reality”. Mythological fiction is a fast growing genre in India today. Never before, have Indian authors tried to pen down this form of literature in such an intricate manner .The question is not why so? Instead the question is why not before? This is something that had always been lying in plain sight waiting to be unleashed.
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The characters were ready, strongly etched in the minds of the readers, the only task left was to weave a story around them as opposed to other forms of fantasy, such as the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling wherein the authors had to create their own legends, folklore or volunteer entirely new pantheons. Mytho-fic is literature that in some way draws from the tropes, themes and symbolism of myth, folklore and fairytales. Readers can relate easily to mytho-fic, thanks to all the storytelling and retelling by parents and grandparents right from when they were little. Not everyone knows or remembers all the characters or what exactly happened according to legend, but most of us are familiar with the deities, their respective wives, sons and the villain of that era. This works strongly in favour of authors like Amish Tripathi and Ashwin Sanghi. If you think you know it all, think
again. There is a myriad collection out in the market. There’s one whole book dedicated to the ten-headed king called ‘Asura’ by Anand Neelakantan which tells the tale of the vanquished Ravana. Another one called ‘Arjuna’ by Anuja Chandramouli tells the saga of the Pandava warrior prince. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Devdutt Pattanaik and Ashok Banker are other prominent authors whose works have created a huge impact on the Indian mythofic scene, affecting both the older and younger generations equally. The older one, to refresh their memory and the for younger, less aware generation a chance to discover, know and be proud of their origins. This is not all. Indian authors have not only ventured into Hindu mythology but also Christian. Ashwin Sanghi has brilliantly interwoven all the religions together in his debut - The Rozabal Line. Just give it a thought. What if I told you that Jesus propagated Hinduism? What
if I told you that he did not die on the cross? What if I told you that he lived in India? Sanghi’s book goes beyond conventional controversies. It is said to be the most controversial mythological thriller about the origins of Christianity, some say even more than Dan Brown’s ‘Da Vinci Code’. So, it is not just Indian authors writing about Hindu mythology, it is much more than that. The purpose of mythology or myth is to point us to the horizon and back to ourselves. This is who we are and this is where we came from,and this is where we all are going. And when fact meets fiction, all hell breaks loose. This deadly combination not only makes for an interesting read, but also reminds us of our forgotten past, thus bringing us closer to our present reality.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING Women in Peril
INDIA
, where women are worshipped; Kali symbolizing power, Saraswati symbolizing wisdom and where Shiva devoted half of himself to his wife Parvati. It is ironic that we have failed to keep its women safe. Brutal gang rapes, eve teasing, sexual exploitation and domestic violence are just some of the myriad of problems that women face every day. It’s appalling that the victims are made out to be culprits. We are officially residents of the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women sharing the dais with countries such as Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Unless we have learnt to respect women and realize their contribution to the society and towards each individual, addressing our nation as ‘Ma’ is impertinence on our part.
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First step towards providing a solution to any problem is to acknowledge it and create awareness. Flesh trade, prostitution and rape have been one of the oldest and deeply rooted social problems, eradicating which may take a long time, but first we must create awareness. These issues can no longer be swept under the carpet like always and can’t be politicized every time. It’s important we take up these challenges head-on. In a modest attempt to understand what lies within the dark world of women trafficking hidden under the glitter of our protected environment, we spoke to Rescue Foundation, an NGO instrumental in rescuing and safeguarding the women who were caught in this vicious web of flesh trade. In a brief discussion with Triveni Acharya, President of Rescue Foundation, we tried getting an answer to the questions that arise in our mind about Women Trafficking. How are the girls trapped into
Q this trade?
These girls are lured with job opportunities in cities or the trafficker marries the girl and brings her to the city for trade. These traffickers who can even be the girl’s relatives, put the father in a vicious trap and burden him with debts. They are then made to believe that their daughters can repay them. How does the investigation
Q take place?
It is a long process. Our investigators make a number of visits to the brothels as customers in an attempt to connect with the girls and win their trust. They wait for the right time to reveal their identity to them. Also investigators always go in pairs with one distracting the brothel keeper while the other counsels the girl. The proofs that they eventually gather in the form of videos or recordings are shown as evidence to the police and the raid is thereby conducted. How
does
the
Q operation take place?
rescue
The rescue operation is highly risky and hence confidentiality is necessary. It involves meticulous
planning, investigation and trust within the volunteers. We either receive missing complaints of girls from Nepal, Bangladesh, or different states of India or the informers spot minors in brothels which is a clear indication of forced prostitution. After thorough investigation, i.e. ensuring whether the victim is a minor or a major and whether is forced if latter, a complaint is lodged with required proof at the police station. On the day of rescue our Jeep leads the police force to the concerned spot without disclosing the exact location to them. All forms of communication are confiscated from the police as well as our team members to prevent leakage of information to the traffickers. The higher police officials may at times be informed about the details of the raid if the situation demands. On reaching the location, the traffickers might be alerted by the sound and inhumanly cramp the girls into narrow hidden cells, or even under commodes. But our rescue team is experienced enough to locate such cells and rescue the girls. Do raids fail? What is the
Q reason behind the failure?
Yes there are several times when it fails. Sometimes the girl is close
to the brothel owner and may reveal the motive of the visits of our investigators. Careful execution and experience is the key. Have women ever refused to
Q be rescued from brothels?
Yes, there are cases where adults refuse to be rescued! Girls, when brought into flesh trade, are first brain-washed to believe that they are fortunate to be here. Moreover, the brothel owners get them addicted to drugs and alcohol. They are therefore reluctant to leave the brothel for this is where their addiction gets sufficed. Another major reason is their fear of being judged and not accepted by the society.
Q How quick are the court trials?
The court trials are usually slow paced. It takes a year or two to even get a date and by that time, the accused is sometimes reported to have fled away. To solve this, fast-track courts have been introduced in Maharashtra which only deal with trafficking cases. They ensure that the same judge proceeds over the case throughout the trial thereby assuring speedy justice.
Roshni Kamal, a mentally challenged girl, was trafficked from Bihar and sold out in Mumbai. She tried to escape from there but failed and incurred severe burns caused by the trafficker. She was admitted to a hospital by him from where she tried to flee again. This time he caught her again near the station, and burnt her out of anger leaving her to die. Roshni was fortunately spotted by one of our volunteers and was given medical care immediately. The press was informed, funds were raised and now she is safe at our Boisar home. She never realised the consequences of trying to escape nor did she possess fear because of her mental impairment. But what we fail to understand is how inhuman can one be to harm such an innocent soul! At times I believe that she is lucky to have been mentally challenged as it helps her let go off her traumatic past. But what about the other girls? They will always be haunted by the memories of their vulnerable past.
What should the punishment be
Q for the traffickers?
The girls go through tremendous torture in brothels at a very tender age when their personality starts shaping up. Such a trauma at this age causes damage for a lifetime. So there isn’t a punishment enough to make up for a crime this heinous. In my opinion, even 5 years of imprisonment is not sufficient.
Q
Should the clients also be punished?
The clients too should be punished. Brothels exist because there is a demand for it. The clients are the main carriers of the HIV virus. Men folks should be counselled and made to understand how immoral and unethical the flesh trade they contribute to, is.
Q
What is the age of the girls getting trafficked?
The girls usually belong to the age group of 14-18 years and generally hail
from poor families. What happens to the children
Q of the rescued victims?
The kids are also rescued along with the victims. The latter is given the choice of keeping their children or giving them up for adoption. Although before taking such a step they undergo thorough counselling. Because most of the time, it so happens that they decide on giving up on their child to start afresh but soon after, they face hardships due to social stigma and fall weak. It is then when they realize that their child was their only emotional support! After
undergoing
so
much
Q mental and physical torture,
what is the victim’s psychological condition? Does trust become an issue for them?
Every woman exposed to such atrocities undergo emotional trauma. Some undergo severe trauma and need extra care. We rescued a girl who was tortured by the brothel
owner making sure she serves aged people! Up to twenty five customers a day! She was fed minimum food and lived in a dimly lit room. It was no less than a dungeon. Trust is definitely an issue, especially since it was broken several times. They even tend to lie to the counsellors because they always have it at the back of their mind that they maybe cheated in the assurance of help. Should prostitution be legalised?
Q Would that curb trafficking and rapes?
If a woman has to be given a way to earn her livelihood, she should be given a respectful one. Prostitution is definitely not the solution. What is your take on women
Q empowerment?
We believe, there wouldn’t be a need for empowerment if there is no discrimination in the society as empowerment is needed for the oppressed. Equality is what we call for!
LEGALISATION OF PROSTITUTION IN INDIA is still a debated question. Some see no harm in it as a woman has the right over her body while some argue over the fact that women will still be exploited in the name of law. If prostitution is legalized women are protected by certain strict laws like mandatory health checks for the clients and the girl, police protection in the brothels eradicating the influence of the antisocial elements on them. Women also have the right to choose their clients. This way her integrity is maintained and it reduces the risk of HIV to a huge extent. But the clients who are banned on medical grounds will invariably seek illegal help for the purpose, which is where trafficking comes into the picture again. Legalisation may curb it to a considerable extent but will it overthrow it completely?
Twelve years ago, a group of seven girls from Nepal were rescued from neighbouring brothels in Kamatipura by our founder Balkrishna Acharya. They underwent counselling and were taken care of at our foundation. A year later they were repatriated. These girls refused to sit back and watch; they refused to let any other women go through the same torture they experienced. This inspired them to start their own NGO called ‘Shakti Samooha’ which strives against trafficking of women in Nepal. They help us in getting the HIRs for repatriating the Nepali girls. Their active presence has considerably reduced the ratio of Nepali women forced into this trade. They are truly survivors!
How often do we crib about not getting extra cheese in our burger or not getting a call from what we thought was a successful interview! Yes it does account for some disappointment. But if you look at it through the eyes of a victim the mere fact that we eat the food we want, talk to the people we like, go to places we want to, laugh with, laugh at, love, be loved is a lot to have. The right to self-opinion is her distant dream. In the world back where she lives, her destiny is governed by a group of immoral crooks who regard her no more than an object to be hired or sold. Her emotions, decisions, opinions, dreams hold no value. Objects don’t speak! Ever wondered how it felt to not have a say even over your own body? She, by no means, wants your sympathy but support. Not just laws on a piece of paper but understanding towards her and her rights; right to live, right to follow her dreams, right to be opinionated, right to be ambitious, right to be self-reliant. Policy won’t change practice. No fake assurances or candle light march. No judgemental, patronizing and condescending stares. It’s time we awaken our souls. We are not asking women to have power over the world but themselves.
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The Wall Magazine 2014
“HAVE PURPOSE, THE MEANS WILL FOLLOW” Dr Manish Maladkar (Guest Author) You are what your deep, driving desire is, As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed, As your deed is, so is your destiny. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV.4.5
We start with a desire which becomes a driving force that can change one’s destiny. Destiny can be man-made, but it all depends on us and what we are made up of, for what we do flows from who we are. As Mahatma Gandhi has said, “A small body of determined spirits, fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” And that is true as seen by so many exemplary examples in our day to day lives. We too can change our destiny, the way we want, but only with a desire and the faith to do so. Then a question arises in our mind, “What about the resources?” The answer to this is simple, “Have purpose, the means will follow.” In pursuit of your everyday goals, will come the realization of your ultimate goal in life. Then another question may arise in your mind. At this stage of life which path should I take? Here Robert Frost’s advice answers the query. He says, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference!” So be aware of your everyday goals, and then start running on the road not taken. This way you will walk the path to glory and success. Awareness and effort will make your dreams come true. Awareness with thought will lead to good planning and good planning will lead to foresight and determination which will take you on the path to success.
Every morning in the jungles of Africa a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will get killed. Every morning a lion gets up, it knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle, when the sun is up you’d better be running.
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An ultimate clinical truth is to be found in Buddha’s last words:” Everything that has been created is subject to decadence and death. Everything is transitory. The only truth is to work for your own salvation with discipline and patience.” So let it be salvation or success in life, the two strongest pillars that will not only support you but also elevate you are discipline and patience. ‘You are the cloud, you are the rain/you are the healer, you are the pain!’ The responsibility of your success or failure thus lies in no other person but you. True cure has to come from within. Similarly success will come to you from within. You may wonder how? The answer lies in those two magical words-discipline and patience. These two will build you from within and take you on your chosen path.
Echoing the words of Antoine de Saint- Exupery, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye,” remember that what you really desire to be, is all within you and your heart knows it well. Let your heart guide you on the path that you were meant to be on. The society and the mind will both play devils. Let ye be not swayed and continue with discipline and patience the journey that you have undertaken. As Swami Vivekananda extolled us, “Arise, awake and Stop not till the Goal is Reached. To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. ‘I will drink the ocean,’ says the persevering soul,’ at my will mountains will crumble up.’ Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal.”
Before I pen down, let me wish you, ”MAY THE GOOD TIMES AND TREASURES OF THE PRESENT BECOME THE GOLDEN MEMORIES OF TOMORROW.”
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. Dr Manish Maladkar M.D.(Bom), M.C.C.P (USA) (manishmaladkar@gmail.com) The writer is a doctor, author, philanthropist and a neurotheologist. He claims to be a Lightworker - a messenger of the Divine Consciousness. He has authored the bestseller, “Life, An Odyssey: Time Tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems” published by Unicorn Books. The details of this internationally acclaimed book are penned on his website. www.drmanishmaladkar.com
- Antoine de Saint- Exupery Le Petit Prince
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Anisha Kagale Shreya Sarkar Gunjan Desai Tushar Barsagade Aniket Tambe
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jazim Baramy Viraj Shinde Shreya Manke Ajinkya Pisal Sanket Katoch
F A C E S
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the collected works of
kajal soni
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The Wall Magazine 2014
STREET
LIFE
THROUGH THE LENS OF
Siddhant Gawande CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Innocent Play Future Bleak Unknown Conversations My Shadow Follows Me
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Committees The RAIT student chapter of the COMPUTER SOCIETY OF INDIA, CSI-RAIT was founded about a decade ago with modest horizons and not-so-modest aspirations. At present, CSI-RAIT is the largest student committee in RAIT, with a strength of over 250 whole-heartedly dedicated members. CSI-RAIT, during the period of the academic calendar, organizes two grand technical festivals – TECHMATE in the odd semester, and TECHKNOW in the even semester. The committee releases three annual publications – COZINE, TECHNOPHILIA and DECRYPT.
CSI RAIT
IEEE-RAIT is the student branch of IEEE in our college. It holds various workshops, both hardware and software. They also conduct two technical festivals in each year. “Whizion”, the tech-fest held in the odd semester in the middle of September, is a purely IEEE-RAIT event. Their even semester festival is “IEEE 360 Degrees”, an all-Mumbai inter-college technical festival, held in collaboration with seven other IEEE student chapters in the city.
IEEE RAIT The student organization nurtured by the Department of Instrumentation, ISA-RAIT, has been around for over a decade. They have a plethora of events, which they love organizing, and the participants enjoy attending. From a viscous-looking dragon towering above you, to a mighty Hulk poised in agitation, to an elaborate spider web suspended in mid-air, ISA-RAIT constantly endeavours to make its technical festivals Genesis and Niyantran, exciting and endearing to all. Their annual technical magazine, ISAAC, brims with interesting articles, and is always much eagerly looked forward to. Their latest initiative, the Automatrix newsletter, promises to be an enriching read.
ISA RAIT
Information Technology Students Association (ITSA) is the newest technical committee in our college formed by the students of Information Technology Department under the guidance of Head of Department of IT Mrs. Dipti Jadhav. The main aim of ITSA is to project the importance of IT in every engineer’s life. It plans to hold important workshops both during the summer and winter holidays and all students irrespective of their branch can attend them. Having launched their first technical festival with the other three technical committees in September, they hope to meet the hopes and dreams of all RAITians.
ITSA
GSC is a team of technology lovers who’ll expertise in Google technologies and promote them within and outside the college. They hold fun events with a Google twist in them.
Google STUDENT COUNCIL
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In Conversation…
A Pop Quiz with the representatives from various technical committees.
Representing IEEE RAIT is Mahesh Hariharasubramanian
IEEE. A. Ahmmmn… *not an acceptable answer!*
Q. What does IEEE stand for? A. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers *too easy*
Q. Where is the headquarters of IEEE located? A. I don't know. *Finally, some honesty*
Q. When was IEEE established? A. 1884? *WRONG!!!*
Q. What's the flagship publication of IEEE? A. Spectrum Magazine *ding ding ding, we have a winner!*
Q. Name the current President and CEO of
Introducing Karan Haksar who will take the test for ISA RAIT Q. What does ISA stand for? A. International Society of Automation Q. When was ISA established? A. Mujhe nahi pata yaar! Though the Mumbai one was founded in 1935. *no marks for that -_-*
Vikram Liman steps up for CSI RAIT Q. What does CSI stand for? A. Computer Society of India *everyone gets this right :P* Q. When was CSI established? A. 1963 *Correct Answer!!* Q. Name the current President of CSI.
A. Professor Raghvan *Correct again, Hot Streak!* Q. Which chapter hosted the 48th Annual Convention? A. Ah Ah AAAaa. *Spoke too soon!* Q. On the logo of CSI, there is a Sanskrit Sloka. What does it say? A. I don't know!!
Q. Name the 2012 President of ISA. A. Colin Fizart *Confident bluff, but incorrect!*
Finally, the Google Student Ambassador Jaspreet Kaur Bassan pitches in for GSC
Q. Founders of Google? A. There are two obviously. Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Q. What is ISA's tagline? A. Settting the Standard for Automation. *Correct answer!*
Q. State, in order, the colours of each alphabet in the Google logo?
Q. National winner for 2013 Doodle for Google India drew a doodle based on what theme?
Q. What is the name of ISA's leading publication? A. ISA helps to learn current technology. *come again?*
Leaderboard:
1. Google Student Council - 4½ points 2. CSI RAIT - 3 points 3. IEEE RAIT and ISA RAIT - 2 points
A. Blue Red Yellow … Blue Green, and Red! *Good attention to detail! * Q. What was the first tweet from Google's official account? A. It is I AM… it’s was a very big binary number. *partially correct!*
A. Celebrating Indian Women Q. Google is a misspell of which word and what does it mean? A. The word is Googol and it means 1 x 10^100
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The Wall Magazine 2014
Student Union Council, popularly known as SUC is a student body of RAIT which doubles up as redressal committee for the RAITians. STUDENT UNION COUNCIL SUC bridges the gap between the college management, faculty and the students and acts as the much needed mediator. One can approach them for any kind of help from accommodation, a roommate or to report harassment from peers, SUC reaches out to every student and helps them. Besides attending to student’s grievances, SUC organizes some of the events in the college. From Teacher’s day Celebration, Ganeshotsav in odd semester to Tie day/ Saree day, Rose Day, Traditional Day, and of course the three day extravaganza: HORIZON in the even semester. General Secretary Arjun Gosain: 9920322261
RAIT alumni association is the committee which associates the alumni back to RAIT. From holding the annual reunions to undertaking mentorship programs and hosting the much sought after guest lectures we have done it all. These achievers are truly the pride of our college requiring nothing but a sophisticated team interacting with them. Join in to be amazed, be inspired. Contact Juhi Sharma: 8767340416
RAIT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Social Wing or “SOW” is another feather in RAIT’s cap. The recently formed social wing is going to lead the way towards development and betterment of society and they also aim to work at university level at many social fronts. SOW members visited an orphanage and they decided to volunteer for teaching orphans. In future, they have planned to conduct clean up drives. Social Wing is trying to give wings to the underprivileged children by sponsoring them through NGO’s like World Vision. SOW believes in “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Contact Jaspreet Kaur Bassan: 9768207978 Suvigya Mittal: 9867914600
SOCIAL WING
FOOTLOOSE Footloose, inspired by the famous dance of 1984 of the same name, is a platform for all the dancers and dance lovers of RAIT. They are trained under the guidance of a very skilled choreographer and participate in many competitions throughout the year in various colleges such as K J Somaiya, ICT, Saraswati, SIES and Dr D Y Patil medical college to name a few. They also take part in folk dance competitions organized by Mumbai University in collaboration with another in-house committee Kalaraag. Internships are a proven way to gain relevant knowledge and venture something new while studying. An internship right from the beginning of engineering can prove to be a major factor in gaining an experience of the industry, thus leading to an individual’s overall development and consequently making your resume stand out in the crowd. Campus Catalyst-RAIT (CCR) provides you with such an opportunity. CCR provides you with an internship catering to your capabilities and interests, regardless of your department and year. We are the ladder to your success!
CAMPUS CATALYST Contact Vikas Dethe: 8108758576
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RAIT is one of those institutions which gives its students immense encouragement to pursue and excel in sports. STAMINA, organised by the committee, is RAIT’s very own annual sports event held in the even semester. Olympia is yet another sports festival held in the even semester, wherein all the colleges under DY Patil Group compete with one another. RAIT was the champion last year. Our college won many medals at the BITS Pilani Sports Festival last year, an event held annually in the odd semester. Sports Secretary Sports Coordinator: Vipul Mhatre: 8097102019 Prof. N.S. Dasre Dr. M.D. Patil Girl Representative RAIT SPORTS Sayli Suryarao: 8082677162 As RAIT's Entrepreneurship Cell, Motif aims to provide a conduit by which students can access relevant entrepreneurial resources, network with prominent entrepreneurs, share ideas and nurture them. To this end, the club is dedicated to furthering understanding about new or small businesses, and about entrepreneurship in all businesses. The Cell aims to create an amicable atmosphere/place for passionate and enthusiastic people with ideas. It also aims to provide RAITians with a powerful knowledge base via resources, alumni meets, industrial exposure, seminars and creative workshops, which will help them to understand practical aspects of entrepreneurship and working of successful businesses. Contacts Shraddha: 992007890 Anshika: 7303480004
MOTIF
vaYaa-nauvaYao- RAIT maQyao saaMsÌitk prMpra japt AalaolaI Committee mhNajao “klaaraga”… drvaYaI- ‘yauqa foisTvala’ maQyao RAIT cao naava ]McaavaUna yaotoº Odd Semester maQyao ‘]%sava’ ha Event AayaÜijat kolaa jaatÜ. yaamaQyao rajyastrIya AaiNa ivaBaagaIya spQaa- Mcao AayaÜjana kolao jaatoº %yaacap`maaNao Even Semester “DI vaaya fosT” maQyao raYT/Iya stracyaa ‘ekaMkIka’¸ ‘laGauica~pT’ AaiNa ‘Cayaaica~’ spQao-cao AayaÜjana kolao jaatoº %yaaca barÜbar p`%yaok Semester maQyao ek vyaavasaaiyak naaTk AayaÜijalao jaatoº yaaca saÜhL\yaat gaolyaa vaYaI- makrMd Anaasapuro¸ BaUYaNa kDU ¸ AiBaijat cavhaNa ASaa marazI saRYTItIla AiBanao%yaaMnaI hjaorI laavalaI hÜtI
klaaraga
Chairman Nachiket Burade: 9768777953 General Secretary Rohit Lipne: 8286567657
In order to enhance the ease of placement process and the comfort of the applicants, RAIT has an integral committee TRAINING AND PLACEMENT CELL named the ‘TRAINING AND PLACEMENT CELL’ wherein hands on training is offered to the students both on the conventional as well as advanced techniques to excel during placements. The placement cell is functioning with full time dedicated Training and Placement Officers Prof. A.V. Vidhate and Prof. Neha Sinnarkar, who maintain a consistent communication with leading companies nationwide. Comprising of around twenty students from FE, SE, TE and BE, the cell comprises of the Student Head, core members and juniors, coordinating with each other and exploring new ways to help students tackle the placement process. Furnished with proper infrastructure, the cell organizes various training seminars, aptitude tests, group discussions, mock interviews, and personality development programs, through which, the cell not only attempts to incorporate good technical skills but also the soft skills that play a major role in the process of recruitment. With the endeavours of the placement cell, the students of RAIT have been successful in getting recruited across sectors at esteemed companies such as: JP MORGAN MORGAN STANLEY NOMURA ORIOS MICROSOFT NVIDIA INFOSYS HCL TCS TERADATA L&T INFOTECH TECH MAHINDRA MAHANAGAR GAS CAP GEMINI RELIANCE and many more.... Saumitra Kirolkar: 9819730793 Siddarth Kumar: 9930086388
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Shuru kiya sabne as a wannabe engineer, Aaj mere yaar, dost banna chahte hain actor, 4 saal main ban gaye itne alag alag groups, But har group ka Arjun X-factor. Yeh main nahi kehta,sab yahi maante, Koyle ki khan main hiro ko pehchaante, RAIT main har din karna chahta dhamaal hain, But GS banke jebein sab kangaal hain.
Tannu Singh EXTC… bhar bhar ke scholars in my class… 4 yrs ho gaye but those geeks do not understand that college is not only about attending lectures but bunking a few and still being the teacher’s favourite :p I managed a first class every time… but ek KT to Banta hain boss… I had it in my 5th semester… that’s when I realised the happiness and importance of the “P” in the results!
It is said, so rightly that ‘Things done in a correct way may be fruitful. But your way makes it special’. So it all began when we started doing things the RAIT way! When being mad, thinking out of the box and chillaxing became a part of life. And yes I am privileged to live through four years not only doing engineering but exploring my inner self. To aspire was something RAIT taught me! In my first year I had an encounter with my teacher who did not understand the word natak and said, ”Tumko kya naya natak karneka hain… saare bacchein natak hi karte hain yahan pe.” All I could say was “Sorry and Thank you!” But then there were teachers who supported and encouraged me. As a result, I have done over 250 shows of Marathi commercial ‘Natak’! RAIT has always taught us to be different. I am proud to say that I have witnessed rock shows and fashion shows in a so called boring engineering college! RAIT did, has and shall continue to aspire and inspire.
SIDDHi WAMAN
N i ru pa m a R a m a n I still can’t believe that I have survived for 4 years in this college! I still remember the first day! I was so new to this place, I had a feeling that I’d never be comfortable here. To be honest I never liked RAIT initially but now at the end of four years, I feel the changes… It’s similar to when I left school. I had one of the best set of seniors who supported me throughout!! It’s very difficult to find people from whom you can expect so much help and support, they feel like family. Oh and how can I forget my second semester’s result drama? So let me tell you what exactly happened. The results were to be declared, I was tensed expecting a KT or two. The glass doors jam packed, I somehow managed to get through the crowds. DROP! I was petrified when I sighted this against my name. I pushed back the entire crowd, which seemed impossible to pass through a few minutes ago, and ran to a friend of mine and started crying like I have lost everything in my life. I didn’t know what made me cry because deep down my heart I always knew that engineering was never my cup of tea. I cried for not fulfilling my parent’s expectations. How could I face them? The entire college was a witness to this act. But the people of RAIT consoled me, supported me, encouraged me and so did my parents. This college has taught me to fight back no matter what. I gave 11 papers clearing 9 in my third semester. I saved myself from a drop. This is when I learnt that nothing is impossible if you set your heart on accomplishing it! This is my last semester in college and all I want to do is relive all those moments for the last time. I would like to thank all those people who supported me through this journey, I feel blessed to have you’ll in my life.
BE
Quirky tales, experiences and bits of advice that go a long way :P
Mujumdar
Abhishek DEOUSKAR
MESSAGES
Aditya
In RAIT, I have had the most enriching experience ever. I learnt how to be confident, street smart, and most importantly became an extrovert. I learnt to be nice to the right people :p I really can’t mention a funny incident because they usually happened when I was chronically inebriated :p
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Horizon 2011> It was 4am, I stumbled up to the SUC room, found a few of my lost friends (there already snoring away), I pulled out a sponsor banner and went off to sleep. A few hours later… On hearing some noises. Friend1: abbe ye itna gems kidhar se aya ? Friend2: abbe mera davai hai ...bahar kaise aya?! *checks bag* %@&$#^ !!! Wallet safachat ! Cards, Cash all gone !!! Everyone else wakes up by now. Two others have been robbed! Money, chargers, deodorant, even spare shirts! *10 mins later* A friend shouts “Abbe PC ka keyboard mouse bhi chori!” These robbers went to the extent to tear a friends jeans pocket with a blade while he was sleeping :p It’s a story we all still laugh to!
Rohil Subramanian Being a Computer Science student has been easier as compared to the students of other branches but sometimes it has been funny when it comes to academics. I remember a time in my third semester where I found a liking for the subject DLDA. I attended almost every lecture sitting on the first bench right in front of the teacher. I asked her doubts about the lessons and tried solving numericals myself! It so happened that I even taught some of my classmates before the semester exams. But the paper checker decided to give me a KT in that subject >.< I still get mocked by my friends about it. But true friends are those who save you the mocking by going a step further and getting a KT in EVS. I thank every teacher for their contribution to my life and wish them all the luck. For my juniors, I’ll just say that you will get marks throughout your engineering but in RAIT choose your friends wisely.
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The Wall Masons 2014
Abhilash Ganeshkar, Anuj Mulik, Kajal Soni, Anand Mishra, Mousam Maity, Anupam Sinha, Devdip Sen, Ruturaj Tawde, Renuka Singh, Nikita Rana, Namrata Pillai, Neha Rane, Siddhant Gawande, Megh Halagatti, Manogna Gottipati, Aditi Dasgupta, Malhar Patil and Harsh a.k.a. Gursimran Singh ->
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Harsh has been banished to the box for not showing up for the team shoot, as he was away slaying dragons
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The Wall Magazine 2014
With another edition of The Wall done and dusted, an unfamiliar conversation began in earnest. With a tinge of sadness, I realised that this was it - the final edition I will be working on. What happens now? And almost immediately, the suggestion was made "We should come out with our own magazine!" I smiled to myself in the general acknowledgement that the magazine has always been tough to walk away from. Every true blooded Mason has had to come across, or will come across the pain of saying "goodbye and no more". The familiar concern for the future, the apprehensions about the new team, or maybe the reason that you just miss it too much, it all keeps you coming back for more! I kid you not; passing on the proverbial mantle has once been described to me as handing over your baby. Now I can truly empathize with the situation, for I too have nurtured the magazine as my own flesh and blood, and being directly involved in three editions over time has been hugely fulfilling. When people ask me why I prefer to sacrifice days of sleep (among other things) to work on something that to them seems so trivial, I can honestly say that being a Wall Mason is worth it and given the opportunity I'd do it all over again. No more long, never ending phone conversations about the magazine. No more bouncing of ideas around in a team meeting. No more of beating the *extended* deadlines, designing over cups of coffee and late night sing-alongs and tomfoolery at night outs. It is hard to beat the rush you get when you realise that the moment of inspiration has struck, and you churn out something brilliantly creative. But most of all, it has been a privilege being part of something truly phenomenal. The happiness you get when you see the shock and awe on the faces of your readers and the effusive praise that follows later just reaffirms your commitment to pursue the elusive perfection, despite the costs.
I can't help but feel a little proud of how far we've come - in terms of content, design and the buzz that surrounds the magazine. This year's edition has been truly remarkable and surpassed even my personal, very high and often unrealistic expectations. Kudos to the current team and a bit of advice to go along with it: the toughest part of setting a standard is to go one better the next time, and this effort is going to be quite hard to beat! So you better bring your 'A' game every time. Another nugget of advice for the fresh batch of Masons is to love what you do or don't do it at all. The magazine is a labour of love, and it needs you to put in your maximum time and effort. You've got a reputation to protect and the adage 'The Magazine is above all else' is the absolute truth. But most of all, and this part is easily achieved, enjoy it! Being a Mason, you come across a breed of talented intellectuals. The Wall has always been the place where I've always felt at home, where I belonged and the line between colleague and friend has always been blurred. The warmth which is endemic to this committee is what you'll miss above all things. It is time now to take my leave, but not before thanking all Masons, past and present. Though not every contribution may be as significant as the other, every little bit has made my experience richer, more vibrant and memorable and where would I be without it. For one final time, I design this page (lazily!) Always a Wall Mason, Anuj Mulik
Liked the magazine? Send us your reviews. thewallmasons@gmail.com
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